Wireless check-row corn-planter.



L. A. ANPIN-SON. WIRELESS CHECK ROW CORN PLANTER.'

APPIQIOA'IQIOH FILED DEG. 22,1910.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

Attorneys 'L. A '.ANPINSON. WIRELESS CHECK ROW CORN PLANTBR. APPLICATIONFILED .1320. 22, 1910.

1,000,705, 3 v Patented Aug. 15, 191-1.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N a w 7 nventor Attorneys LABS A. ANFINSON, OF CLERMONT, IOWA.

WIRELESS CHECK-ROW CORN-PLANTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A11 15, 1911.

Application filed December 22, 1910. Serial No. 598,764.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I LABS A. ANmNsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clermont, in the county of Fayette and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Wireless CheckRow Corn-Planter, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has relation to wireless check-row corn planters andconsists in the novel construction and arrangement of its partshereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide in a planter of the characterindicated, a means which may be operated in response to the attractionof gravity for advancing the time of the dropping operation of theplanter in order that when the machine makes a turn at the end of a rowand starts back upon another row, the advancing mechanism may beoperated whereby the dropping operation is caused to occur in check-rowstransversely across the field.

lVith the above object in view. the shaft that operates the droppingmechanism of the planter is operatively connected with a lever which isfulcrumed upon the planter frame and which normally is located in thepath of movement of an arm carried by a wheel which in turn isoperatively connected with a traction wheel. The said traction wheel isweighted at one side so that its center of gravity is not at its actualcenter and the said wheel is provided upon its periphery with bladesadapted to make indicating incisions in the soil. These blades are atdiametrically opposite sides of the wheel and are also in alinement withthe diameter that passes through the center of the wheel and the pointof the center of gravity thereof. The above mentioned wheel is journaledin a pivoted frame and a lever mechanism is provided for swinging thesaid frame vertically. A lever mechanism is also provided for shiftingthe first mentioned lever laterally in order that it may be carriedbeyond the path of movement of the arm mounted upon the first mentionedwheel.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a planter.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detailed sideelevation of a portion of the mechanism of planters. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of a lever mechanism adapted to shift the first mentionedlever mechanism.

The planter consists of a frame 1. which is mounted on an axle 2 whichin turn is mounted upon ground wheels 3 in the usual manner. A hopperframe 4 is pivotally connected with the forward portion of the frame 1but in the interest of clearness the hoppers have been eliminated in theillustration. A draft tongue 5 is connected with the hopper frame 4 anda lever 6 is mounted. upon the frame 1 and is connected with the hopperframe 4 by means of a link 7. A gear segment 8 is mounted upon the frame1 adjacent the lever 6 and the said lever is provided with a springactuated pawl 9 which is adapted to engage the gear teeth of the segment8. By this arrangement it will be seen that means are provided forraising or lowering the hopper frame 4 with relation to the frame 1. Theparts are so arranged and proportioned that when the hopper frame4 islowered the runners or furrow openers 10 will enter the surface of thesoil and open furrows therein in the usual manner. It is to beunderstood that it is in these furrows that the seed is deposited duringthe planting operation. A shaft 11 is journaled upon the hopper frame 4and the said shaft serves as means for operating the seed droppingmechanisms of the hoppers (not shown).

Standards 12 are mounted upon the frame 1 and a shaft 13 is carried bythe said standards. A. bell crank lever 14 is pivotally mounted upon theshaft 13 and one end of the said lever is connected by means of a rod 15with an arm 16 which is fixed to the shaft 11. The bell crank lever 14is also slidably mounted upon the shaft 13 and is limited in its slidingmovement in 'one direction by a stop 16 which is fixed to the saidshaft. A. stop 17 is also fixed to the shaft 13 and a coiled spring 18surrounds the shaft 13 and at one end bears against the stop 17 and atits other end bears against the bell crank lever 14. The spring 18 isunder tension with a tendency to hold the bell crank lever 14 againstthe stop 16. Alever 19 is fulcrumed upon the frame 1 and a rod 20operatively connects the said lever with the bell crank lever 14. Theconnection between the rod 20 and the lever 19 and the bellcrank lever14 are sufiiciently loose to permit the bell crank lever 14 to be slidalong the shaft 13 when the lever 19 is swung upon its fulcrum. By thisarrangement means are provided for drawing the bell crank lever 14 awayfrom the stop 16 and out of the path of an arm (to be explained) whicharm serves as means for swinging the said bell crank lever at intervalsand through the said bell crank lever operating the seed droppingmechanism as indicated.

Standards 21 are mounted upon the rear portion of the frame 1 and carrya shaft 22. The shaft 22 is journaled in the standards 21 and rearwardlydisposed parallel arms 23 are fixed at their forward ends to the saidshaft 22. An arm 24 is fixed at its lower end to the intermediateportion of the shaft 22 and at its upper end loosely receives a rod 25.The said rod 25 passes through a blade 26 mounted upon the frame 1 andat its forward end is connected with a lever 27 which is fulcrumed uponthe frame 1. A gear segment 28 is mounted upon the frame 1 adj acent thelever 27 and the said lever is provided with a spring pawl 29 whichengages the teeth of the segment 28. A coiled spring 30 surrounds therod 25 and is interposed between. the guide 26 and the upper end of thearm 24. The spring 30 is under tension with a tendency to hold the arm24 away from the guide 26. A shaft 31 is journaled for rotation at therear end portions of the arm 23 and a wheel 32 is fixed to theintermediate portion of the said shaft. The wheel 32 is provided uponits periphery with a series of tractors 33 and at diametrically oppositesides with soil incising blades 34. The wheel 32 is also provided in itsside at a point between its center and its periphery with a weight 35which is located in diametrical alinement with the soil incising blades34. Considering the said weight 35 as a portion of the wheel, thepresence of the weight places the center of gravity of the wheel to oneside of its center. A sprocket wheel 36 is fixed to the shaft 31 and asprocket wheel 37 is loosely journaled upon the shaft 22. A sprocketchain 38 is trained around the sprocket wheels 36 and 37 and is adaptedto transmit rotary movement from the shaft 31 and wheels 32 to the wheel37. An arm 39 is fixed to the side of the wheel 37 and is provided withan angularly dispose extremity 40 in the path of movement of which oneendportion of the bell crank lever 14 normally lies. When however thesaid lever 1.4 is shifted laterally along the shaft 13 by the levermechanism 19, the said bell crank lever is moved to one side of the pathof movement of the angularly disposed extremity 40 of the arm 39 andconsequently the rotation of the said arm about the axis of the shaft 22can have no operative influence upon the bell crank lever 14.

Gage staffs 41 are pivotally connected at their forward ends with theend portions of the hopper frame 4 and extend rearwardly under theprojecting end portions of the axle 2. Flexible connections 42 connectthe said staffs with the end portions of the said axle in order toprevent excessive lateral swinging movement on the part of the saidstaffs. Gage points or blades 43 are fixed to the rear ends of thestaffs 41 and at their lower ends are in approximate alinement crumedupon the frame 1 and pulleys 45 are journaled upon the said frame.Chains or cables 46 are connected at their inner ends with the levers 44and are about the pulleys 45 and at their outer ends are connected-withthe forward end portions of the staffs 41. By means of the levers 44 andcables 45 provision is made for holding the rear end portions of thestaffs 41 so that the lower ends of the gages 43 are held in theirproper places.

WVhen the planter arrives at the end of a row and prior to turning thesame the operator swings the lever 6 so that the hopper frame 4 and therunners 10 are elevated; At or about the same time he also swings thelever 19 so that the bell crank lever 14 is carried out of the path ofmovement of the angularly disposed extremity 40 of the arm 39. Previousto this however, the levers 44 have been swung so that the rear endportions of the staffs 41 together with the gages 43 are held inelevated position. After the planter has been turned around and a newrow of planting is about to be started, the operator swings one of thelevers 44 whereby one of the gage staffs 41 together with the attachedgage 43 is permitted to descend so that the said gage will come incontact with the soil. The machine is then started along the return rowuntil the said lowered gage 43 is directly over an incision made in thesoil by one of the blades 34 carried by the wheel 32 upon its precedingtrip. The operator then swings the lever 27 and through the connectingrod 25 and arm 24 the shaft 22 is partially rotated whereby the rearportions of the arms 23 are raised. Inasmuch as the bell crank lever atthis time is out of the path of movement of the angular extremity 40 ofthe arm 39, the wheel 32 is free to rotate under the influence ofgravity upon the weight 35 at one side of the center of thesaid wheel.wheel 32 will be turned so that the weight 35 will be between the centerof the wheel g'and the surface of the ground and consequently one of theincision blades 34 will be directly positioned above the surface of theground and will be in alinement transversely of the rows being plantedwith the gage 43. At this time the wheel 37 has been turned Thus thesaid to such an extent that the arm '39 carried thereby, has its angularextremity so posi- =tioned as to engage one end portion of the bellcrank lever 14 if the said lever is in the path of movement of the saidextremity; If not the operator swings the lever 19 whereby the rod 20 ismoved longitudinally and the said bell crank lever 14 is moved along theshaft 13 under the influence of the spring 18 until one end portion ofthe said lever is in the path of movement of the angular extremity 40 ofthe arm 39. The said extremity 40 at this time is directly over the endof the lever 14 and about to actuate the same. In view of the fact thatthe incision blade 34 is now in contact with the ground and in check-rowalinement with the gage 43 it is apparent that as the machine is startedback on the return row the intervals at which the seed are planted bythe planter will correspond with the intervals of all previous rowsplanted in consequence of the same. Therefore it will be seen that asimple and effective means is provided for maintaining the plantingthroughout the field in check-row alinement without the use of wire orother accessories not carried upon the frame of the planter.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a planter comprising a shaft for operating seed dropping devices,means cooperating with said shaft comprising a bell crank leverfulcrumed upon the planter frame and operatively connected with theshaft, a lever mechanism for shifting the said bell crank lever, a framepivotally connected with the planter frame, means for raising the lastmentioned frame, a traction wheel journaled in said frame and havingsoil incising blades, a weight attached to the traction wheel andpositioning its center of gravity to one side of its actual center, awheel journaled upon the planter frame and carrying an arm, means foroperating the last mentioned wheel from the traction wheel, said bellcrank lever normally lying in the path of movement of the said arm.

2. In a planter having a shaft adapted to operate seed droppingmechanisms, a bell crank lever fulcrumed upon the frame of the planterand operatively connected with the said shaft, means for shifting thesaid bell crank lever laterally, a frame pivotally connected with theplanter frame, a lever mechanism for raising the last mentioned frame, atraction wheel journaled in the last mentioned frame, a wheel journaledupon the planter frame, an arm attached to the last mentioned wheel andhaving a laterally disposed extremity in the path of movement of whichthe bell crank lever normally lies, and means for operating the lastmentioned wheel from the said traction wheel.

3. In a planter including a shaft adapted to operate seed droppingmechanisms, a bell crank lever fulcrumed upon the frame of the planterand operatively connected with said shaft, a frame pivotally connectedwith the planter frame, a lever mechanism mounted upon the planter frameand operatively connected with the last mentioned frame, means forshifting the bell crank lever laterally, a traction wheel journaled inthe last mentioned frame, a wheel journaled upon the planter frame andoperatively connected with the traction wheel, an arm carried by thelast mentioned wheel, said bell crank lever normally lying in the pathof movement of said arm, incision blades carried at diametricallyopposite sides of the said traction wheel, and aweight carried by thesaid traction wheel and positioned in the center of gravity at one sideof its actual center.

-In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LABS A. ANFINSON.

Witnesses R. P.-BERRY, J. A. ERIGKSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

